


Fire in Our Eyes

by ayyyez



Category: Naruto
Genre: (OC) clan, Creating the village, F/M, Graphic Sexual Content, canon (mostly), eventual, graphic depictions of blood and injuries, graphic violent content, grumpy boy needs some lovin, med nin
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-30
Updated: 2018-10-30
Packaged: 2019-08-10 01:03:45
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,490
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16460498
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ayyyez/pseuds/ayyyez
Summary: With the Senju and Uchiha clans united and the foundations in place for a new settlement, how will the village find peace when all they know is war? A story of the founders, following the lives of Tobirama Senju and Asana Matsui and how their Will of Fire ignites a fire of their own.





	Fire in Our Eyes

**Author's Note:**

> This is a very self indulgent idea I've been thinking about for awhile and wanted to share it. Hope you enjoy!

A strong wind blew through the trees, causing the smaller branches to sway and the leaves to rustle against one another. The sudden change from the calm earlier in the day unsettled even the native birds, sending them flying into the air and fleeing in the opposite direction. It was the kind of wind that signified change and change was coming to the Land of Fire.

Two shinobi stopped along the path of the forest beside a rocky river bed. The current was strong, the rushing water almost loud enough to drown out the howling of the wind. One of the shinobi turned, his red eyes looking to the sky and watching with a stoic expression as the last of the birds fled. The wind picked up, blowing through the strands of his silver hair as he knelt down and placed two fingers to the ground. 

‘What do you sense, Tobirama?’ Asked the other shinobi, who was sitting close by beneath the shade of a tree. 

Tobirama waited a moment before standing and turning toward him, his expression unchanged.

‘A tremor of sorts in chakra which probably means we are getting close, elder brother.’ Tobirama turned and walked back toward the path then stopped gesturing toward his brother. ‘Hurry up, Hashirama, we are wasting time dawdling here.’ 

Hashirama nodded, dusted off his formal kimono attire then joined him. It hadn’t been a particularly long journey from their settlement but Hashirama insisted on a leisurely pace. Tobirama constantly attempted to pick up their pace until they turned off the path and headed deeper into the forest. The trees were overgrown and wild and the vegetation beneath them appeared untouched. 

‘I still think we should have worn our armour as a precaution.’ Tobirama muttered. 

‘We are appealing to them as allies. If we wish for them to join our settlement then we must give them a reason to trust us,’ Hashirama replied. ‘Besides, didn’t you say yourself that the Matsui clan are the most likely to respond to a call for peace in the Land of Fire.’ 

‘Yes but I am only thinking logically.’ Tobirama frowned. ‘We still don’t know how they will react when they find out you are Hashirama Senju, so don’t get carried away during the talks. We need them to join us if we have any hope of sustaining the village.’ 

Hashirama nodded and the two continued on, pushing through the low hanging branches and stepping cautiously. The earth was growing damp to the point their sandals were starting to stick in the mud.

‘It seems there is a water source nearby,’ Tobirama observed running his hand over a patch of moss growing on a rock. ‘We must be getting close.’

The overgrown forest was beginning to become difficult to navigate. The brothers exchanged a glance before jumping to the branches above and toward a clearing a few feet ahead. 

‘The leader of Matsui is said to be a strong practitioner of ninjutsu, have you ever encountered her on the field before?’ Hashirama asked, jumping down from the branch and into the clearing. 

‘I don’t believe so,’ Tobirama replied, following him down. ‘But you must not be influenced by the talk of others. Anything can be exaggerated when passed on from person to person. There’s no point putting merit into anything we don’t see ourselves.’ He stopped, before adding. ‘But at the same time we should not underestimate her either. The situation is too delicate to be dismantled now, especially by a wrong move on our part.’ 

‘Either way, what’s important now is cementing this alliance for the future. I don’t wish for anymore discord amongst the clans.’Hashirama stopped as they approached the cliff edge over a ravine where a waterfall crashed down the other side. He pointed directly at the centre of the falling water. ‘Is this the place?’ 

Tobirama took a step forward to stand beside his brother, eyes narrowing toward the point his finger indicated. ‘Yes, this seems like the place I was informed of, there should be a cave entrance hidden behind that waterfall.’ Tobirama pointed to a jagged bit of rock sticking out from the cliff face on the other side of the ravine. ‘We should be able access it from there.’

Hashirama nodded and Tobirama retrieved one of his marked kunai throwing it just above where he had pointed. His hand found his brother’s shoulder and in an instant they were standing on the jagged platform beside the waterfall. From there they could easily see the once hidden entrance behind the waterfall. 

‘The location his genius.’ Hashirama commented as they began easing their way over.

‘Indeed. But it does raise further questions,’ Tobirama replied. ‘It is rather discreet for a clan who specialises in neutrality. What do they have to hide?’ 

‘Tobirama, enough overanalysing and let us do what we came here for.’

The younger brother grunted in response then they finally reached the entrance. The waterfall now crashed behind them and seemed different within the echo of the cave. They entered further and where darkness normally would be expected they were insteadgreeted with a light no brighter than candle which was enough to see clearly. Tobirama looked up and studied the walls which seemed to be coated in a substance used to create the glow they were seeing. 

‘Fascinating.’ Tobirama muttered.

They stopped when they approached a shinobi standing guard at the inner entrance. The man was shorter than both brothers and had brown hair and brown eyes with a large scar running across his cheek down toward his mouth. The question of neutrality almost dissipated at the sight of him but would remain at the back of Tobirama’s mind. The expression of the man was one easily recognisable in their warring era: the look of immediate distrust. The sort of distrust one didn’t question or choose for themselves but was passed onto them. It was the trademark look of a shinobi who had seen his fair share of war. 

‘Are you the ones?’ The man asked, eyeing them down. 

Hashirama cleared his throat. ‘We are here to speak with your leader.’ 

The man’s line of vision caught Tobirama’s and locked in a heavy stare, each daring the other to look away. Neither of them budged and the air thickened with a dangerous tension where one wrong move could upset the balance.

‘Very well,’ The shinobi broke eye contact. ‘Come with me.’ 

He turned and lead them further into the cave which seemed to change form as they went deeper. Tobirama quietly observed their surroundings as they walked. The raw, rock walls changed into stone bricks and the source of light, which had been a subtle glow from the walls, changed to daylight coming through windows. It seemed they were no longer in the cave as much as joined to it. 

‘An emergency has arisen,’ the shinobi leading them said, stopping at a large double door entrance. ‘My lady said you can wait in the Great Hall as long as you keep quiet.’ 

Tobirama and Hashirama exchanged glances before nodding. 

‘Very well.’ 

The shinobi turned and opened the door leading them inside. 

The moment the doors opened a loud scream pierced their ears. Tobirama’s gaze darted to the left corner of the room, his hand buried deep in his pocket and gripping his kunai as he found the source of the scream. On a stone slab lied a man twisting and shrieking while three men held him down. At the end of the slab, where his head sat was a woman with her raven hair tied back and dark stains smeared overs her clothes. Her hands firmly planted on the man’s chest; from them came a directed surge of chakra which focused what looked to be a wound beneath which oozed blood. 

‘Keep him still!’ The woman ordered before pushing down more against his chest. ‘The wound is almost closed!’ 

The woman didn’t even seem to notice they had entered the room, her attention absorbed in the task at hand. Tobirama could feel the essence of the chakra she was emitting. It was one he had encountered many times before—medical ninjutsu but there was something familiar about that particular chakra signature. The grip on his kunai loosened but he did not let it go completely nor did he lower is guard.

With his eyes glued to the woman, Tobirama watched as she continued to work. Her palms moved slowly from his chest upward, inch by inch, until they were hovering above and no longer touching him. Her hands were now drenched in blood and the man had finally stopped screaming. A certain wartime memory threatened to emerge but he ignored it and instead focused on the scene in front of him. Tobirama couldn’t see the standard medical ninjutsu signs anymore but sensed something much stronger than any medical jutsu he had felt before. 

‘Perhaps it wasn’t all talk.’ Hashirama whispered.

Tobirama couldn’t disagree with his elder brother. 

The woman then removed her hands altogether and everyone who had been holding the man down slumped forward, panting and looking exhausted. She went over to the side where a stone bench sat, removed her stained outer kimono and washed her hands. Tobirama’s eyes followed her as she moved back toward where the injured man lied and addressed one of the other medical shinobi. 

‘Take him below and get Mei to start the recovery process.’ 

The medical shinobi nodded and directed the other shinobi to help carry the injured man out of the room. 

The woman sighed, removing the tie from her hair which allowed it to fall down her back and sit just below the waist. Tobirama observed how the waves curled around her body, barely distracted before redirecting his attention up to her face. She turned and caught his gaze as if noticing them for the first time.

The woman approached them with her head high and an exuded a familiar confident aura that Tobirama had found most leaders he had met possessed. Now she waa closer in the light, Tobirama was able to see her hair held subtle shades of purple and her eyes were brown. Not a dark pupilless brown like an Uchiha but rather a soft brown.

‘My apologies but unfortunately you cannot plan ahead for medical emergencies, even with the cease fire agreement in the region.’ She stopped in front of them and gave a curt bow. ‘I’m Asana, leader of the Matsui clan.’ 

The two brothers returned the bow. 

‘I’m Hashirama Senju and this is my brother, Tobirama.’ 

‘Your reputations proceed you. Although it is harder to recognise you without your blood drenched battle armour and clan crests plastered over yourselves.’ The hint of a smile played at her lips.

Tobirama frowned. 

‘We’ve met before?’ It was more of a statement than a question since Tobirama sensed the hidden meaning behind her words but he had no recollection of the alluded meeting.

‘Yes but it was…oh, years ago,’ she turned away, looking toward the window for a brief moment. ‘I’m a healer after all and our clan has had our fair share of consorting with most clans in our nation. Who else was going to clean up the mess that our forefathers bestowed upon us?’ 

Her gaze turned back to them. 

Tobirama relaxed a little, his face returning to it’s usual stoic expression. He didn’t trust Asana but he didn’t feel the need to condemn her either. There was a part of him that was distracted by the familiarity of her chakra and Tobirama despised distraction.

Asana walked over to a table in the centre of the room and sat at the head. 

‘Please, sit,’ she gestured in front of her. ‘And tell me, Hashirama Senju, why you have sought me out.’ 

The brothers sat and her smile faded as she sat back in the chair, her arms coming to rest on either side. To Tobirama, she finally appeared as an opposing leader rather than an acquaintance and all thoughts of familiarity disappeared. 

‘My lady Asana, your medical prowess is known to many,’ Hashirama began, ‘as are your ideals when it comes to war. We have established a settlement beyond the confines of clans that welcomes everyone and above all encourages peace. We would like to extend an invitation to you and your clan to join us and help put an end to the war that has ravaged our land.’ 

Asana’s eyes narrowed but she did not respond right away. There was heavy silence in the air and the tension began to rise each second it remained unbroken. Tobirama felt his brother stir beside him but his gaze remained on Asana trying to gage her response and plan ahead accordingly.

‘Thank you for the flattery,’ Asana finally responded. ‘However, I would rather we skip the niceties that formality demands of us and instead insist we speak frankly. Don’t you agree?’ Her eyes glanced away from Hashirama to Tobirama.

‘We do.’ Tobirama quickly answered. 

Asana’s gaze remained fixed and continued to pierce him in a way that caused him to almost feel the heat of her thoughts. Then suddenly he remembered where he had seen her before and the memories came rushing back. 

‘You’re that brat from the forest during the battle of the valley.’ 

‘Tobirama!’ Hashirama chastised. 

Asana smiled playfully. ‘You did promise to be frank with me.’ 

‘Yes.’ Tobirama agreed, despite Hashirama’s disapproving look. An ironic role reversal were he to by into that kind of humour. 

‘And you’re that stubborn Senju boy who thought he was immune to Nature.’ 

‘Yes.’ 

‘I’m glad to see you did not grow up foolish.’

‘And you learnt to control your tongue.’ 

Asana gave him a knowing look and although the mood in the air was lighter his stoic expression remained. 

‘But back to the matter at hand,’ Asana insisted. ‘You say you want to have a settlement—a safe haven of sorts—for all clans to come together and rid the war that has plagued our nation and replace it with peace. But how do you propose to achieve such an improbable task?’ 

Hashirama shifted in his seat and Tobirama could tell what he was thinking. They had not know what they were coming into when they decided they needed the Matsui clan onboard, especially when most clans had come to join of their own volition. They had not expected such rejection so early on during the talks. Hashirama had confided in Tobirama that if anyone would join their village after the Uchiha then he thought it would be the Matsui. It seemed they had misread the situation. 

‘My Lady, you said yourself that the wars ravaging our land are the direct result of previous generations bestowing their ideals on us,’ Hashirama began. ‘But we are a different generation, one that has seen children wrongly killed in the name of our clan and honour. Our village will serve as an end to meaningless conflict and prevent our children from being slaughtered before they can even envisage lives of their own.’ 

Tobirama watched Asana as his brother spoke. Her eyes were no longer narrowed and her resolve seemed less indifferent. Even Tobirama couldn’t deny the fact that the village needed her for stability but he had no idea it would be a fight for that to happen. 

‘We wish to unite the clans under one banner, to live for each other,’ Hashirama continued. ‘And make sure we do not repeat the mistakes of our fathers. The structure we have set up already provides shelter for those seeking refuge, a district for trading with several vendors and we are in the process of creating a schooling system to teach children the shinobi way without sending them out to their death.’ 

Asana pressed her lips together. ‘What other systems do you have in place to keep balance and order between the clans?’ 

‘There’s a leadership system being created,’ Tobirama jumped in. ‘A more democratic system where leaders are chosen for the purpose of maintaining the village and it’s people as a whole. Where they will have council to avoid dictatorship and their purpose will be to divide the shinobi by rank and ability to take on any missions if necessary. The feudal lord will come into play too, making sure the leaders do not forget their duty to the people.’ 

Asana leant forward where her chin came to rest in her hands. She closed her eyes and sighed as if considering his words. 

Tobirama watched intently, waiting for the answer they had been waiting for. 

‘It’s a nice sentiment to strive for peace,’ Asana began, ‘and an admirable ideal, considering the state of our nation and the grudges that loom over our heads. Each clan, including my own, has felt the keen sting of loss that comes with war. That’s why the sentiment of peace was born. However, you cannot achieve peace on sentiment alone.’ 

Tobirama could feel the mood shift in his brother, spiralling from the positive disposition to a more defeated one. He on the other hand, though surprised by Asana’s words, continued to listen. He couldn’t deny the truth behind her words, in fact, they mirrored the very concerns he had expressed to his brother. It did not mean he appreciated hearing them from another person outside their immediate circle.

‘You cannot expect the clans who have hated each other for longer than any of us can fathom to simply lay down their arms and change their way of life,’ Asana continued firmly. ‘It simply will not work as smoothly as you have insinuated. If there’s one thing I’ve learnt in my time it’s this: shinobi will choose not trust each other for the simplest reasons. Shinobi have attempted to kill me for healing them because of that distrust which has been breed by war. I have saved many shinobi lives and they still don’t trust me. How do you plan to gain their trust and get them to continue to live together in peace when it goes against everything they know?’ 

Tobirama frowned. ‘Are you not the leader of the clan who has preached the idea of peace for years? Isn’t the idea of your neutrality embedded in the belief shinobi could be something more—the very thing we wish to achieve. Or has it just been an excuse this entire time?’ 

Asana smiled again, catching Tobirama off guard. 

‘You misunderstand the intent behind my words,’ Asana replied. ‘We remain neutral because we do not buy into the petty squabbles amongst clans who make any excuse to fight. Yet we understand that we cannot fault the people of clans for a system they were born into. We are healers and believe in saving everybody and therefore, yes, we do share your ideals when it comes to peace but we are not foolish enough to think it is easy to obtain.’ 

Hashirama stood, sending his seat back across screeching along the floor. 

‘We do not wish to pretend there isn’t hard work in creating our ideal village nor do we pretend it will be easy. However, I truly do believe that peace can be achieved and our clans and eventually our nations can coexist. This is why,’ Hashirama bowed lowly, his head grazing the table. ‘Lady Asana I humbly ask you to join our village and help us achieve peace.’ 

Asana’s eyes widened at the sight of the bowing Senju Leader. 

‘Elder brother—’

‘Lift your head lord Hashirama, there is no need to bow to me.’ Asana stated softly, watching as Hashirama stood upright. ‘If you thought I was denying your request to join the village then you are mistaken. Only a fool would refuse change when the wind blows.’ 

Tobirama turned from Hashirama to Asana. 

‘Thank you.’ Hashirama replied with a smile. 

Asana nodded. ‘However you must understand that I do not critique your plans lightly or because I think them entirely wrong. Actually it’s because I believe in your ideals that I must give my honest opinion because I want it to work, I want to bring peace to the land.’ 

Hashirama pulled his chair back and sat down. ‘We would gladly hear any and all advice and critiques you have for the sake of the future. Right Tobirama?’ 

Tobirama glanced toward his elder brother before returning his gaze back to Asana. 

‘Indeed,’ he replied. ‘For the sake of the village.’ 

‘Very well, then let us begin,’ Asana said. ‘First I would like to discuss the plans for a medical headquarters in the village. It’s paramount to set it up as soon as possible if you are to truly take care of the people.’ 

From there the discussion continued on well into the evening and it was decided that Matsui clan would join the village and Lady Asana would play a crucial role in helping bring forth change to the Land of Fire. 

**Author's Note:**

> All characters (other than my OCs) belong to Masashi Kishimoto and SP. Feel free to leave a comment or kudos. THANKS FOR READING!


End file.
